Push button switch



p 1937- 1 GOTTLJEB 2,077,472

PUSH BUTTON SWITCH Filed Aug. 15, 1934 INVENTOR JOSEPH GOTTLIEB TORNEYPatented Apr. 20, 1937 U-NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly tosnap switches of the push button type.

An important object of the invention is to provide a switch of the abovetype which is simple in construction, economical of manufacture andcomprising few parts capable of expeditious assembly.

Another object is to provide a switch of the above character in whichthe few moving parts are of sturdy construction and capable of long ife.

A further object is to provide in a switch of the aforementionedcharacter novel make and break circuit means.

The foregoing objects and other features and advantages of the inventionwill be more clearly apparent from the following detailed descriptionand the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment of the inventionin Which:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an elastic socketincorporating the switch mechanism embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken at right angles thereto.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the socket body in the plane shown inFigure 1 with the switch mechanism in the off position.

Fig. 4 is a side View of the socket body as reviewed from the right ofFigure 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the socket body showing the electric conductorterminals.

While in the present instance the invention is shown as embodied in anelectric socket, it, of

course, may be embodied in various other electric devices.

In the drawing the socket comprises a shell in, a cap II therefor and aninsulating body I2. As is usual the inside of the shell is lined with aninsulating sleeve l3 and the capserves to carry an insulating disc I4having a central opening through which may be passed the coveredelectric conductors l5 and IS.

The body I2 is preferably designed to loosely fit the upper part of theshell l0 and its lower portion is provided with a through passage il inwhich is arranged the switch mechanism.

The upper portion of the passage I! is narrowed to form a slideway l8terminating at its ends in walls l9 and 20.

A slide 2| is adapted to move in the slideway and is provided with outreaching downwardly directed arms 22 and 23 having lateral extensionscovered by insulating push buttons 24 and 25 respectively.

The center of the slide may be provided with a downreaching projection26 apertured at 27 to receive one end of an operating spring 28. Atiltable contact member 29 is preferably formed in the shape ofabellcrank having one arm 30 oifset and protruding into the opposite endof the spring and another arm 3i acting as a contact arm and oiiset toengage against the middle of the portion 42.

The contact member 29 is pivotally connected at 32 to a portion 33 ofthe terminal 34. This portion is designed to project into the passage II and to be positioned alongside one of the walls thereof.

The upper end of the terminal 34 is inwardly bent at an angle as at 35and is provided with a screw seat for the binding screw 36 to receivethe end of the conductor I5. The end of the binding screw 36 also servesto maintain the terminal 34 in assembled relation with the body l2.

The other terminal 31 is also provided with a binding screw 38 toreceive the end of the conductor I6.

To the bottom of the body I2 there is applied a disc 39 of insulatingmaterial which serves to close the open bottom of the passage I1 and tocarry a contact 40 which is substantially Z-shaped and formed with theusual center contact 4| and with a portion 42 contactable by the contactarm 3i.

The dead end of a screw shell 41 is applied against the under side ofthe disc 39, and the assembly of the body I2, the disc 39, the terminal31, and the screw shell is maintained by means of the screws 43 and 44;the screw 43 also acting as a conductor in the circuit and employing theterminal 31 as its nut and the screw 44 being provided with a nut 45which is kept from rotation by engagement with the walls of a recess 46in the body.

The electric circuit which passes from the conductor l5 to the terminal34, contact member 29, contact 40 through the device in the socket, tothe screw shell 41, screw 43, terminal 31, and conductor 16 may beinterrupted by pushing against the end of the push button 24 until theslide is centered over the pivot 32 of the contact member when thespring 28 will be at greatest compression. Continued push on this pushbutton will move the slide slightly beyond the center position and thetendency of the spring 28 to expand will cause the slide to snap to aposition against its stop wall 20, and since the contact member at alltimes seeks to maintain alignment with the axis of the spring its arm 3|will be lifted from contact with the portion 42 of the center contact tobreak the mentioned circuit.

This last position is shown in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to close the circuit the push button 25 is urged tothe left and as the slide 5 comes to rest against the stop wall I9, theexpanding tendency of the spring 28 will cause a firm contact betweenthe contact arm 3| and the portion 42. This contact is sufficient forall ordinary purposes but should it be desired, the portion may beformed with two upstanding spring portions adapted to receive betweenthem the contact arm 3|.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple device for the purposehas been disclosed in the preferred form of its embodiment, but it isnot desired to restrict the details to the exact construction shown, itbeing obvious that changes, not involving the exercise of invention maybe made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an electric switch, an insulating body having a transverseslideway and a central passage within the body and having a grooveextending radially of the body from the passage to the periphery andlongitudinally of the body and terminating in an offset recess, aU-shaped 30 terminal seated within the groove with one of its armsprojecting into the passage and the end of the other of its armsoverlying the offset recess, a binding screw on the end of the latterarm adapted when sent home to extend into the recess to maintain theterminal in assembled relation with the body, a bell crank contactmember pivotally engaged with the end of the arm projecting into thepassage, an operating coil spring, one arm of the bell crank nestingWithin the confines of one end of the coil spring and a central contactadapted to be contacted by the other arm of the bell crank when theother end of the coil spring is moved, in one direction, a slide movablein the slideway, said other end of the coil spring being connected tothe slide, to be actuated thereby.

2. In an electric switch, an insulating body having a transverseslideway and a central passage within the body and having a grooveextending radially of the body from the passage .to the periphery andlongitudinally of the body and terminating in an offset recess, aU-shaped terminal seated within the groove with one of its armsprojecting into the passage and the end of the other of its armsoverlying the offset recess, a bell crank contact member pivotallyengagcd with the end of the arm projecting into the passage, anoperating coil spring, one arm of the bell crank nesting within theconfines of one end of the coil spring and a central contact adapted tobe contacted by the other arm of the bell crank when the other end ofthe coil spring is moved inone direction, a slide movable in theslideway, said other end of the coil spring being connected to theslide, to be actuated thereby.

JOSEPH GOTTLIEB.

